More Than Just a Shaggy Ogre

tlantl · Sep 11, 2012

As long as I have stats for them and they look like minotaurs then it's good enough. I don't really need elaborate back stories or histories to use them, occasionally. Most of the time my players don't care anyway.

It's nice that they are thinking along these lines though. I just wish they'd give up trying to make every monster with some added ability that doesn't work, or wait until they focus all of their attention on them so they work and don't add to the confusion of playing the game.

they feel tacked on (and probably always will unless you're a 4e player) and do nothing at the table but add work for me.

TerraDave · Sep 11, 2012

I agree:

Good to have non-natural monster origins. Could be the Minotaur...or not.

JeffB · Sep 11, 2012

Dear WOTC,

Gimme stats, a pic and a paragraph of general description. . Save the big story for campaign settings books. 9 times out of 10, I do not like or want to use your story.

Thank You.

thewok · Sep 11, 2012

I don't mind it either way. I don't have minotaur PCs in my game, and I never will. So, the minotaur is very firmly in the monster camp for me. The background in the article does make some sense.

However, it reads a lot like the drider to me. Follower of Lolth/Baphomet catches his/her master's attention in some way. Lolth/Baphomet decides to curse/bless her/his follower in a special way, to ensure that all those who look upon them are reminded of that person's failure/success. The follower is then given features of the spider/bull and cursed/exalted by other followers.

It really looks like the 4E drider, since the base game made becoming a drider a blessing from Lolth, rather than the curse it is in FR.

Steely_Dan · Sep 11, 2012

Sammael said:
DL minotaurs should be something else entirely.

Especially the ones from Taladas.

Steely_Dan · Sep 11, 2012

Thank god they didn't merge Yikaria (Yak Men) with them, totally different kettle of fish, the Yak Men can control Dao (genies), to start.

frankthedm · Sep 11, 2012

Klaus said:
One final note: Minotaurs were Large in earlier editions of D&D because back then anything above 7' tall was Large (like the gnolls). Now that Medium can encompass creatures like goliaths, gnolls and bugbears,

Mistakes Next hopefully corrects.

Klaus said:
there's no reason for the core Minotaur to be Large (as in ogre-sized). An 8'-tall minotaurs is perfectly Medium within the rules.

How is it within the rules when the rules are not even final? And IMNSHO an 8' tall critter needs significantly more fighting space than a normal human, justifying a larger base/fighting space.

Sammael said:
I already use similar fluff although the curse/blessing is hereditary. My minotaurs are all male to reflect their creator's misogyny.

Same here. Whether mine have hooves or feet depends on the species of the birth mother.

B.T. · Sep 11, 2012

I have a hard time believing that a minotaur is only one size category larger than a gnome.

CM · Sep 11, 2012

B.T. said:
I have a hard time believing that a minotaur is only one size category larger than a gnome.

And I have a hard time believing that a rat or housecat or is only one size category smaller than a gnome.

Actually I don't. I'm all for more abstract size categories. As long as 5e doesn't go back to the circus that was large-sized player characters in 3e, it will be headed in the right direction.

Sammael · Sep 11, 2012

IMC, the size progression of various humanoids is as follows:

Kobold < Halfling < Gnome < Goblin < Dwarf < Elf < Human < Hobgoblin < Orc < Gnoll < Bugbear < Orog < Minotaur < Ogre < Hill Giant < other giants

Goblins and smaller creatures are size Small
Orogs and smaller creatures (down to Dwarf) are size Medium
Minotaurs and larger creatures are size Large

More Than Just a Shaggy Ogre

tlantl

First Post

TerraDave

5ever, or until 2024

JeffB

Legend

thewok

First Post

Steely_Dan

First Post

Steely_Dan

First Post

frankthedm

First Post

B.T.

First Post

CM

Adventurer

Sammael

Adventurer

Similar Threads